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Beaver Advisory Board’s first fundraiser nets $17,500

June 23, 2014

Beaver Advisory Board’s first fundraiser nets $17,500

The Penn State Beaver Advisory Board netted a profit of $17,500 at its first fundraising event, which was a Wine, Ale and Food Pairing held last month in the campus Brodhead Bistro and on the Bistro’s outdoor plaza. The event was developed and implemented by the Board’s Advancement and Development Committee.

More than 200 guests participated in the evening’s festivities, which featured 10 wines from five Pennsylvania wineries and several ales from the Beaver Brewing Co., all of which were accompanied by complimentary foods prepared by Jeremy Lindner, director of Beaver’s Office of Housing and Food Services; Kelly Marcello, manager of housing and food services; and their entire staff.

Prior to the event, the Advisory Board voted unanimously to direct this year’s proceeds to the Gary B. Keefer Endowed Scholarship at Beaver campus. Keefer, who will retire June 30, joined the campus as director of academic affairs in 1996 and was named chancellor in 1997. The scholarship was established last fall by colleagues, alumni and staff members in honor of Keefer’s tenure as Beaver’s longest-serving chancellor and in recognition of his many contributions to the academic, programmatic and physical plant enhancements on campus.

Initially, the Advancement and Development Committee was chaired by Carolyn Renninger, advisory board vice president and CEO of C3 Controls, followed by Tom Day, CEO of Day Capital Group. Renninger remained on the committee along with advisory board members I. David Atcheson, oral and maxillofacial surgeon; John Feraco, advisory board president and manufacturing leader for NOVA Chemicals Inc.; Terrie Krukenberg, senior vice president for business development, ESB Bank; David Sebastian, vice president of Sebastian Enterprise Inc.; Laura Tocci, attorney with Personal Law; Tom Trzcinski, owner and president of Kitchen and Bath Concepts; and Nicolas J. Unis, owner and partner, Unis Dental Associates.

“This committee is one of the best I’ve ever worked with,” said Diana Patterson, Beaver campus director of development. “We started out with a lot of different ideas for this evening, but after some discussion, the group decided to go with a wine, ale and food pairing. And it was the right decision; we didn’t know we’d be this successful on our first time out with this fundraiser.”

The board is already planning to expand the event for next year and a date will be announced at a later time.